Kehwa Beats : Kashmir’s first of its kind of music series reviving the region’s rich musical heritage

Srinagar (Mudasir Maqbool) : To bring life to Kashmir’s thousand-year-old musical legacy young musicians are infusing modern melodies into traditional folk. One such effort can be seen in recently launched Kashmir’s first of its kind of coke studio replica music series titled “Kehwa Beats” which showcases the zeal and passion of emerging local musicians for folk music and eternal love for the Kashmiri language.

Launched by Srinagar-based Record label Kashmir originals, Songs performed in Kehwa beats are a fusion of folk music to contemporary hip hop and pop music. The music label has called it an attempt to protect and revive rich musical heritage by blending traditional folk with contemporary genres.

The first season comprised of a total of six songs has been released on the official youtube channel of Kashmir originals which are streaming on international music platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. All the songs have received an overwhelming response from the netizens. Appreciating the efforts of Kashmir originals the locals are calling it “Kashmir’s own Coke Studio”.

Borrowing the show’s name from the traditional Kashmiri tea called Kehwa, The songs performed in Kehwa beats represent the core essence of Kashmiri folk music. To connect folk songs with today’s youth, traditional instruments such as Rabab, Sarangi, and Tumbakhnari have been skillfully blended with contemporary instruments such as guitars and bass which not only make the song modern but give the true feel of intelligent fusion.

Kehwa Beats takes songs and poems of past greats and preserves them with the help of contemporary music. This show reflects the efforts of a new generation of Kashmiri musicians who overcome the social barriers and choose music to keep the Sufi identity of the region alive which is far removed from the bullets, bombs and militancy that are normally associated with Kashmir.

Produced by Kashmir Originals one can find popular voices and tones of Kashmir’s favourite singers such as Kabul Bukhari, Ishfaq Kawa, Waqar Khan, Sonali Dogra, Master Saqib, Zartashaa Zainab, Rishab Raino and Shahbaz Gul in Kehwa Beats.

The songs featured in Kehwa Beats don’t just reflect the richness of Kashmiri music and language but also send a message of security and safety to the entire nation by displaying a true image of Kashmir to the people of India and around the world.